Match

Adelaide Crows vs Essendon

Commentary / 19 Jul 2019

Pre Game

00:00
Since Round 12, Essendon has averaged 34 points from its intercept possessions won in the forward half of the ground, ranked third in the league.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
04:50
SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Rushed)
05:01
Brad Crouch has been busy early, collecting four early disposals. He is enjoying a career-best season with an average of 31 disposals.
05:15
SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Rushed)
07:31
The pressure is high from both sides in the first term. Hitting targets by foot hasn't been easy, with Adelaide recording a kicking efficiency of 39 per cent compared to Essendon's 60 per cent.
08:17
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Aaron Francis)
09:44
SCORE GOAL - Crows (Tom Lynch)
09:51
Tom Lynch returns to the Crows side for his first match since Round 11 after missing key games with a calf injury. He gets the first goal of the match and has four disposals and two inside 50s to his name.
13:31
The Crows are doing all the attacking early, having 31 forward half disposals to the Bombers' 14. They lead the uncontested possessions 22-9 in that zone.
13:43
Crows Interchange - Taylor Walker off due to an injury.
15:24
SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Eddie Betts)
16:21
Both sides are finding it difficult to find space inside the forward 50, with Lachlan Murphy the only player on the ground to record a mark in that zone.
18:15
SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Brad Crouch)
20:21
Essendon ranks 16th in the competition for points scored in opening quarters this season. It is currently on track for its equal-lowest opening term score for the season with just two behinds.
20:46
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Zach Merrett)
22:31
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti)
23:42
Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti gets Essendon's first goal on the match. He kicks his 13th goal from general play of the season, with only Jake Stringer kicking more via that source (14).
25:51
SCORE GOAL - Crows (Josh Jenkins)
28:00
SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Tom Lynch)
28:04
Adelaide need to get Taylor Walker into the game. He is the only Crow without a disposal to his name at quarter time, but he did spend some time off the ground with an arm injury.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:46
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Dylan Shiel)
02:27
Dylan Shiel hasn't been a major contributor on the scoreboard this season, kicking four goals heading into the match. It took less than two minutes for Shiel to get Essendon's first goal of the second term.
03:01
SCORE GOAL - Crows (Josh Jenkins)
06:41
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Darcy Parish)
07:12
The Crows are dominating around the stoppages, leading the clearance count 15-8. It has scored 2.2 (14) to Essendon's 1.1 (7) via that source. They ranks sixth in the AFL in scores from clearance differentials this season.
08:08
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Will Snelling)
11:03
SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Lachlan Murphy)
12:36
Essendon has worked itself back into the game. It is winning the territory battle in the second term, leading time in forward half 66 per cent to 34 per cent.
14:16
SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Wayne Milera)
16:04
SCORE GOAL - Crows (Taylor Walker)
17:49
Adelaide get back-to-back goals for the first time in the match as Josh Jenkins kicks his third goal on the night. The Crows have dominated the play and have had the last six inside 50s of the match.
17:52
SCORE GOAL - Crows (Josh Jenkins)
18:58
SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Rushed)
19:36
SCORE GOAL - Crows (Brodie Smith)
21:16
Crows Interchange - Tom Lynch off due to an injury.
21:44
SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Brodie Smith)
24:28
Adelaide has imposed itself in the air and grabbed five contested marks to one, with Eddie Betts (two) is the only player with more than one contested mark.
24:47
SCORE GOAL - Crows (Josh Jenkins)
27:04
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
27:28
The Bombers have already kicked 4.0 (24) from chains beginning in their defensive midfield. It averages 15.4 points per game via that zone across the season, ranked 14th in the AFL.
29:07
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Cale Hooker)
30:48
SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Rushed)
32:12
The Bombers need to improve their kicking after half time. It has hit the target by foot 17 per cent less often than the Crows in the first half, their worst differential in any game in 2019.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
04:50
SCORE GOAL - Crows (Brodie Smith)
05:17
Brodie Smith kicks his second goal of the match and Adelaide's first of the third term. He has been used in a role across half-forward tonight, having 18 disposals and 471 metres gained.
08:41
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mitch Brown)
09:30
Conor McKenna's hard running from defence has been a feature of his game tonight, winning an equal game-high 17 disposals. He has also gained a team-high 361 metres.
10:28
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Matt Guelfi)
12:53
Essendon's goal conversion is keeping it in the match. It has kicked 4.1 from marks compared to Adelaide's inaccurate 1.3 via that source.
13:36
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Cale Hooker)
15:47
Reilly O'Brien is enjoying the better of his ruck battle with Shaun McKernan, winning the hitout count 14-10 and hitouts-to-advantage 6-2. O'Brien has also genrated an equal team-high six clearances.
18:35
SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Matt Crouch)
19:48
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Zach Merrett)
21:04
Adelaide is really struggling to get any attacking opportunities generated in the third term. It has had just three inside 50s compared to Essendon's 12.
24:57
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mitch Brown)
25:18
The Bombers are taking the match right up to the Crows. They have now kicked five of the last six goals, leading the inside 50s count 15-8 since the 27-minute mark of the second term.
27:59
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Andrew McGrath)
30:21
The Crouch brothers continue to lead the way for the Crows. Brad has a team-high 27 disposals while Matt has 24 to his name. They have also combined for 11 clearances.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
01:05
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Zach Merrett)
02:09
SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Rushed)
03:19
SCORE GOAL - Crows (Brodie Smith)
03:44
Brodie Smith kicks his third goal of the match - a career-high return. He has been one of Adelaide's most influential players on the night, having an equal game-high 28 disposals.
04:53
SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Taylor Walker)
05:33
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mitch Brown)
09:02
SCORE GOAL - Crows (Hugh Greenwood)
10:44
Adelaide has had complete control at the centre bounces courtesy of Reilly O'Brien's ruck work. It has generated 2.4 (16) from centre bounces compared to Essendon's 0.0 (0).
14:48
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Zach Merrett)
16:14
Essendon has made the most of the chains it has generated from the defensive midfield, generating 8.0 (48), its most in any game since 2015. Mason Redman has had a team-high 12 defensive midfield disposals.
19:32
SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Hugh Greenwood)
20:05
Dyson Heppell is leading from the front in the final term for the Bombers, having team-highs of seven disposals, four contested possessions and five tackles, four more tackles than any other Bomber.
21:35
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
24:07
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mitch Brown)
25:04
Essendon has outscored its opposition by 45 points in final terms since Round 10, the second-biggest differential of any side. It is one again finishing full of steam, outscoring the Crows by 10 points.
25:54
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Dyson Heppell)
27:32
SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Tom Lynch)
28:47
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Zach Merrett)
32:32
Essendon recorded its first win interstate of 2019 on the back of a dominant second half in which it kicked 10 goals to Adelaide's three goals. Zach Merrett was the match-winner in the final term with nine disposals and two goals.